Stoker mechanism



E.. A. TURNER sToKER MECHANISM Feb. 20, 1934.

Filed April 24, 1930 VIII/IIIA INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOKER MECHANISM Application April 24, 1930. Serial No. 446,840

10 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to stokers of the type wherein fuel is delivered more or less unevenly by a conveying means to a distributor which acts to spread the fuel over the fire of a boiler firebox.

The principal object of the invention is the provision, in a stoker of the character described, of deflecting means which function to produce even delivery and distribution of fuel over the fire.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a stoker of the character described, of deflecting means which are easily and conveniently adjustable Without disarranging any part of the stoking mechanism, and which may be adjusted to produce heavier or lighter firing to veither side of the rebox as required.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will be evident from the following description when read in connection with the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the rear portion of a locomotive with the fuel feed conduit thereof shown in similar section;

Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

In the flgures, 10 designates a boiler firebox of conventional design having a backhead 11 with a firing opening 12, and provided with the grate 13. Fuel is delivered to the flrebox by suitable Stoker mechanism only so much being shown as is necessary to a full understanding of this invention.

The forward tubular conduit section or riser of a flexible conduit system extending from a source of fuel supply, as the bin of a locomotive tender, to the firing opening 12 of the boiler is designated as 14. The riser 14 is carried from the backhead 11 by a supporting bracket l5. The riser terminates at its lower end in a spherical seat 16 receiving the ball member 17 on a conduit section 18 leading forwardly from a source of fuel supply.

From its lower end the riser 14 extends upwardly and forwardly, flaring outwardly at its upper end, and communicates with the ring opening 12 through its laterally spreading and substantially horizontal mouth portion 19. The mouth portion 19 is provided with the flanges 20, 20a. for attachment to the backhead by suitable fastening means, as by bolts. This mouth portion is formed with an upstanding wall 21 (Cl. 11o-101) to which is detachably connected a distributor plate 22, and forms an extended fioor portion of the riser projecting through the firing opening 12 of the backhead. Rearwardly of the distributor plate 22 and outside of the flrebox is a 60 vertically disposed nozzle or distributor head 23 to which pressure fluid such as steam is supplied by a desired number of supply pipes 24. The nozzle 23 is provided with openings 25 in horizontal alignment for emitting a fan-shaped blast I of fluid across the distributor plate.

Disposed within the riser 14 is a screw 26 flexibly connected with the screw 27 in the conduit 18 as by a universal joint 28. The forward portion of the screw 26 may be formed with an 70 additional iiight 29 to assist in insuring a continuous stream of fuel. It will be observed that the screw 26 terminates short of the front face of the discharge head 23 and that the axis of each deflector member is disposed intermediate 7 5, the aforesaid front face and the forward end of the screw. This is an important relation of the parts in carrying out the objects of the present invention. Likewise, it is desirable under some conditions to position the front face of the distributor head intermediate the plane passing through the axes of the deflector members and the forward ends thereof as shown on the drawing.

In stoking devices of the character described B5 and illustrated in the drawing, it has been found in practice that the screw means has a tendency to discharge more coal to one side of the riser than to the other and in turn the fuel stream delivered on to the steam' blast is of 9 unequal volume and more fuel is-spread over one side of the firebox than the other, establishing troublesome fire conditions. The side to which more fuel is delivered depends upon the direction of rotation of the screw means and whether it is a left or right hand screw.

This invention provides novel means to overcome this uneven delivery and distribution of the fuel comprising the deflector members 30, mounted at opposite sides of the riser in the pockets 3l, 31a, for directing or regulating the delivery of the fuel to the distributing means. Each deflector member is provided with a. hub portion 32 receiving a pin 33. The hub portion 32 is recessed to receive the lip 34. The 105 lip 34 is formed byY a projection from the conduit Wall and is adapted to receive the pin 33. The deflector members are by this arrangement adapted to swing laterally about the pin 33 as an axis and inwardly of the conduit. no

The defector members are provided with the slotted ears 35, adapted to exibly engage the pins 36 which are loosely mounted on the shafts 37 so that they move forward and backward but do not rotate with the shafts to the extent that they would come out of engagement with the slotted ears 35. The shafts 3*? have a threaded portion 38 which extends through the sidewall of the pockets 31 and is engaged thereby. The shafts 37 are provided with a hand wheel 39, and by turning the hand wheel the shaft is moved inward or outward, thereby swinging the deiiectors laterally about the pins 33. This means for adjusting the deflector is in effect a slow motion mechanism manually operable from without the conduit to impart movement to each deiiector independently of each other and inwardly of the conduit.

By shifting the deflectors in either direction the volume of coal supplied to one side or the other of the distributor plate may be conveniently regulated from without the Stoker and without disarranging any part of the stoking mechanism. The defiectors may be held in any predetermined or desired position.

In order to deliver the fuel evenly onto the distributor plate only one deflector need be provided in that side of the riser toward which the greater volume of fuelv is directed by the screw conveyor, however, the provision of two deiiectors oppositely disposed as shown makes it possible to control the' volume of fuel delivered to either side of the firebox should it be desired to trim the fire or vary the relative volume delivered to each side.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the invention is very iiexible in operation. Either one or both of the deflectors can be moved and adjusted in such a manner as to deliver the fuel uniformly to the distributing means or unevenly as may be desired.

I claim:

1. In combination, a fuelr conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of said conduit, said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure uid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, a deflector vane at one end mounted on a vertical axis and being wholly disposed within said conduit closely adjacent a sidewall thereof, said axis being Vdisposed intermediate said face and the forward end of said screw, and manually controlled slow motion mechanism operable from without said conduit for impartingv lateral' motion to said deflector inwardly of the conduit.

2. In combination, a fuel conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of said conduit,

said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, a deector vane at one end mounted on a vertical axis within said conduit closely adjacent a sidewall thereof, vsaid axis being disposed intermediate said face and the forward end of said screw, and manually controlled slow motion mechanism operable from without said conduit for imparting lateral motion to said deector inwardly of the conduit, said mechanism comprising a threaded stem extending laterally through a sidewall of said conduit and being in threaded engagement therewith, a pin loosely mounted on said stem inward of the sidewall and arranged to flexibly engage with said deflector vane, and means on said stern outside said conduit for imparting movement to said stem.

3. In a fuel delivery conduit having top, bottom and upright oppositely arranged sidewalls, the combination of a fuel feeding distributing means at the mouth of said conduit, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said distributing means, an upstanding deflector vane at one end mounted on a vertical axis within said conduit closely adjacent a sidewall thereof and being disposed in the conduit mouth portion intermediate said distributing means and the forward end of said screw, said distributing means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid and said face being disposed intermediate said vane axis and an end of the vane, and mechanism flexibly connected with an upright face of said deflector and extending through the adjacent sidewall of the conduit to the outside thereof, said mechanism operable from without said conduit to impart lateral movement to said vane.

4. In combination, a fuel conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of the conduit, said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, and a deflector vane at one end pivotally mounted on an upstanding axis disposed closely adjacent a sidewall of the conduit, said face being disposed intermediate said axis and an end of said vane.

5. In combination, a fuel conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of the conduit, said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure liuid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, and a deflector vane at one end pivotally mounted on an upstanding axis disposed closely adjacent a sidewall of the conduit, said axis being disposed intermediate said face and the forward end of said screw and said face being positioned intermediate the ends of said vane.

6. In combination, a fuel conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of th`e conduit, said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure uid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, anda pair of deector vanes oppositely disposed and pivotally mounted one at each side of the conduit on upstanding axes, said face being disposed intermediate the plane passing through said axes and the plane passing through the forward portions of the vanes.

7. In combination, a fuel conduit, a fuel distributing means at the mouth of the conduit, said means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure iiuid, a screw conveyor in said conduit terminating short of said face, and a pair of defiector vanes oppositely disposed and pivotally mounted -one at each side of the conduit on upstanding axes disposed intermediate said face and the forward end of said screw, said face ifo being disposed intermediate the plane passing through said axes and the plane passing through the forward portions of the vanes.

8. In combination, a fuel conduit terminaing in a mouth portion, said conduit adjacent its mouth portion having a pocket formed in each of the upright side walls thereof, a pair of deflector vanes each mounted at one end on a vertical axis within a respective pocket and arranged to form an adjustable continuation of the respective side walls, distributing means at the mouth portion of the conduit,-

means for moving said deflector vanes inwardly of the conduit, said distributing means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid and said face being disposed intermediate the plane passing through the vane axes and the plane passing through the forward portions of the vanes.

9. In combination, a fuel delivery conduit having top, bottom and upright oppositely arranged sidewalls, a recess formed in each of said sidewalls, conveying means in said conduit, a pair of deflector vanes oppositely mount ed in the conduit mouth portion, distributing means disposed adjacent the defiector vanes and beyond the forward end of the conveying means, said vanes being mounted on vertical axes within sai-d recess closely adjacent respective conduit sidewails and being movable inwardly of the conduit, slow motion mechanism flexibly connected to each vane and being operable from without said conduit, said distributing means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid and said face being disposed intermediate said vane axes and the ends of the vanes.

10. In combination, a fuel delivery conduit having top, bottom and upright oppositely arranged sidewalls, a recess formed in each of said sidewalls, conveying means in said conduit, a pair of defiector vanes oppositely mounted in the conduit mouth portion, Adistributing means disposed adjacent the deector vanes and beyond the forward end of the conveying means, said vanes being mounted on vertical axes within said recesses closely adjacent respective conduit sidewalls and forward of the forward end of said conveying means, slow motion mechanism flexibly connected to each vane and arranged to move said vanes inwardly of the conduit independently of each other, said mechanism being operable from without said conduit, said distributing means including a distributor head having a face extending transversely of the conduit provided with openings for the discharge of pressure fluid and said face being disposed intermediate said vane axes and the ends of the vanes.

E. ARCHER TURNER. 

